Brines used for metal extraction are typically found in underground reservoirs (“salar brines”) and contain high concentrations of dissolved salts. For example, extraction of lithium from salar brines is a common method of lithium production because of its favorable cost of extraction. Salar brine in Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia may contain up to 1500 ppm of lithium and high-grade lithium compounds can be processed at relatively low operation costs. However, lithium separation from salar brines is based on solar evaporation in ponds and requires multiple purification steps. To extract the metals from the brine, the brine is pumped to the surface and exposed to the atmosphere. As water evaporates, the concentration of metals salts in the brine increases. The concentrated brine may be treated with other chemicals to precipitate metal salts from the concentrated brine. This process of metal extraction takes a significant amount of time, is dependent on a relatively dry and stable atmosphere, and amplifies environmental degradation due to large amounts of salt left on the ground.